Primary wagering games of gaming machines in most jurisdictions are games of luck, not games of skill. For instance, in conventional slot gaming machines, the player must make a wager on the slot game to begin the slot game, and the slot gaming machine randomly determines the outcome for the slot game. The outcome may be a winning outcome or a losing outcome. The outcome determines whether the player obtains an award according to the predetermined paytable of the slot gaming machine. Most conventional slot gaming machines have an average expected payback percentage set between 80 and 99 percent.
One reason slot gaming machines are popular is because an amateur, novice or inexperienced player can play most slot games and perform as well as a seasoned or experienced slot game player (due to the random determinations of the outcomes). However, this same reason makes such slot gaming machines unpopular for certain people. In the last several decades, many people have grown accustomed to and comfortable with playing arcade skill games, home video skill games, computer skill games, casual games, handheld device skill games, and data network (e.g., Internet) skill games. Certain of these people do not want to play conventional slot gaming machines which have less interaction and often minimize requiring the player to use the player's skills. There is a continuing and growing need to provide these people wagering gaming machines which require a greater amount of interaction and which require the player to use a greater amount of the player's skills.
One problem with known wagering gaming machines which require the player to use the player's skills is that many so called skill games can be mastered by players having a high level of skill, substantial practice or both. To combat the mastering of such games and to make the economics work, the skill game may need to be made relatively difficult. This high difficulty level may be too great for inexperienced or average players to have a sufficient level of success and enjoyment at such gaming machines. It is thus difficult to provide such gaming machines where the average expected payback percentage for all players can be set to the desired percentage (e.g., between 80 and 99 percent).
Accordingly, a need exists for gaming machines which require a greater amount of interaction, which require the player to use the player's skills, and where the average expected payback percentage for all players can be set to the desired percentage (e.g., between 80 and 99 percent).